An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. Generally, a large body of → gas, → dust, and → stars held together by their mutual → gravitational attraction and ranging in mass from about 10⁶ to 10¹³ Msun. If a galaxy also contains
   → dark matter its mass will be much larger.
   Galaxies are grouped into three main categories: → spiral galaxy, → elliptical galaxy, and → irregular galaxy
   (→ Hubble classification).
   

2. With capital G, the galaxy to which our Sun belongs; → Milky Way galaxy.
   

See also:
→ active galaxy, → Andromeda galaxy, → barred spiral galaxy, → biased galaxy formation, → binary galaxy, → blue compact dwarf galaxy, → broad-line radio galaxy, → bulge of a galaxy, → Cartwheel Galaxy, → compact galaxy,

→ core-halo galaxy, → disk galaxy, → dwarf elliptical galaxy, → dwarf galaxy, → dwarf irregular galaxy, → dwarf spheroidal galaxy, → early-type galaxy, → edge-on galaxy,

→ face-on galaxy, → field galaxy, → flocculent spiral galaxy, → galaxy bimodality, → galaxy cluster, → galaxy formation, → galaxy harassment, → galaxy main sequence, → gas-poor galaxy, → gas-rich galaxy, → grand design spiral galaxy, → green pea galaxy, → halo of galaxy, → halo of the Galaxy, → Haro galaxy, → host galaxy, → hypergalaxy, → infrared galaxy, → Irr I galaxy, → Irr II galaxy, → isolated galaxy, → late-type galaxy, → lensing galaxy, → lenticular galaxy, → low surface brightness galaxy, → luminous infrared galaxy, → Lyman break galaxy, → Markarian galaxy, → metagalaxy, → metal-deficient galaxy, → metal-poor galaxy, → parent galaxy, → passive galaxy, → passively evolving galaxy, → peculiar galaxy, → primordial galaxy, → progenitor galaxy, → protogalaxy, → radio galaxy, → receding galaxy, → retired galaxy, → ring galaxy, → Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy, → Sagittarius Dwarf Irregular Galaxy, → satellite galaxy, → Sculptor Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy, → Seyfert galaxy, → shell galaxy, → Sombrero galaxy, → starburst galaxy, → strong arm spiral galaxy, → submillimeter galaxy, → superthin galaxy, → superwind galaxy, → tidal dwarf galaxy, → Triangulum galaxy, → ultraluminous infrared galaxy, → violent galaxy, → weak arm spiral galaxy, → Whirlpool galaxy, → Wolf-Rayet galaxy.

Etymology (EN): From L.L. galaxias “Milky Way,” from Gk. galaxis (adj.), from gala (genitive galaktos) “milk.”

In Gk. mythology, Jupiter, hoping to immortalize his infant son Hercules (who was born to a mortal woman), placed the baby on Hera’s breast. Her milk spilled up, forming the Milky Way. A painting by Italian artist Jacopo Tintoretto (c. 1518-1594), called “The Origin of the Milky Way,” depicts the legend describing how the Milky Way was formed.

Etymology (PE): Kahkešân, short for (râh-e) kahkešân literally “the (path of the) chaff-draggers” or “trail of chaff,” from kah, kâh “chaff, straw, hay” (Mid.Pers. kâh “chaff, straw;” cf. Pali kattha- “a piece of wood;” Skt. kastha- “stick;” Gk. klados “twig;”
O.Ir. caill “wood;” Ger. Holz “wood;” E. holt; PIE *kldo-)

• kešân pr.p. of kešidan/kašidan “to carry, draw, protract, trail, drag” (Mid.Pers. kešidan “to draw, pull;” Av. karš- “to draw; to plow,” karša- “furrow;” cf. Skt. kars-, kársati “to pull, drag, plow;”
  Gk. pelo, pelomai “to move, to bustle;” PIE base k^wels- “to plow”). The term (râh-e) kahkešân may be a popular corruption of Mid. Pers. (râh-i) Kâwôsân “the path of Kâwos” referring to the Persian mythological king Kay Kâwôs, who built an eagle-propelled throne to fly to China, as recounted in the Dênkard and the Shâhnâmé.